Extruded metal heat exchanger



J. P. DZIEKONSKI EXTRUDED METAL HEAT EXCHANGER July 9, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov.

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July 9, 1968 J. P. DzlEKoNsKl 3,391,731

EXTRUDED METAL HEAT EXCHANGER Original Filed Nov. 2, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L9' .LZ 2

DRILLS 0 JM@ Pg-52m@ @gra/M gal July 9, 1968 J. P. DzlEKoNsKl 3,391,731

EXTRUDED METAL HEAT EXCHANGER Original Filed Nov. 2, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 FIG, 9 35 9 d rd2e pm w Tilt; n n 'in Wl y 48 /rh r I i, 24 MIU 1 M h 5 HL l ll H `Il Il II Il Illll Il lllll ll United States Patent O 3,391,731 EXTRUDED METAL HEAT EXCHANGER James P. Dziekonski, 5407 W. Sunnyside St., Chicago, Ill. 60630 Continuation of application Ser. No. 408,036, Nov. 2, 1964. This application Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 498,204 8 Claims. (Cl. 165-55) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A heat exchanger especially adapted for installation along a wall which comprises an extruded section of aluminum or similar metal having a hollow body for receiving a liquid with a vertically extending wall having a plurality of fins on the exterior thereof which are formed initially by extruding the material with a series of spaced flanges disposed in parallel planes extending normal to the vertical wall, which anges are slit at intervals spaced in the lengthwise direction of the Wall, and the fins thus formed are twisted about an axis normal to the vertical wall so as to form vertically aligned rows of the twisted ns with vertical air passageways between the rows to permit upward movement of air in the passageways for discharge at the top of the vertical Wall.

This invention relates to heat exchangers and more specifically to a novel structure with integral convector fins. This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 408,036 tiled Nov. 2, 1964 and now abandoned.

Heretofore heat exchangers have been made either as castings or as fabrications. Castings by their very nature are limited in design and must be made in small sections. Fabrications are generally inefficient since the connections between the radiant section and the convector fins are insuicient to carry the thermal units required for eliective heat exchange.

I have devised a metal heat exchanger made of aluminum or an alloy thereof which is particularly adapted to extrusion so that I am able to obtain long lengths and wherein the several sections of the heat exchanger are integrally united so as to have good heat conduction therebetween.

A general object of the invention is to devise a novel heat exchanger comprising a radiant section and a convector section, said heat exchanger being made as an extrusion with the convector and radiant sections integrally formed as a unitary structure.

As well known to those skilled in the art, extrusions must be made unidirectional, that is, all the parts must be arranged in parallelism. In heat exchangers of the type under discussion, the tins of the convector must be arranged transverse to the radiant water-containing elongated section.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger unit with a novel arrangement of fins which provide vertical air passageways for convention currents of air, said arrangement accommodating the making of the unit as an extrusion. V

More specifically, the invention contemplates making a heat exchanger with longitudinal fins which in one embodiment of the invention are adapted to be cut to predetermined lengths and then twisted transversely parallelly to provide diagonal air passages having lower end air inlets and upper end air outlets.

The invention contemplates in another embodiment thereof a heat exchanger having a plurality of horizontally elongated tins which are curved upwardly rearwardly to provide upwardly extending longitudinally elongated air passageways, the iins being periodically apertured along the lengths thereof as `by drilling to provide inlets for the passageways.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more readily apparent from the specification and the drawings, whereinz.

FIGURE l is a front view partly in vertical section taken substantially on line 1-1 of FIGURE 2 of my novel heat exchanger;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view thereof on line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged rear view thereof with the rear sheet removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged bottom view thereof with the rear sheet in place;

FIGURE 5 is a top vieW thereof partly broken away and in horizontal section;

FIGURE 6 illustrates in cross section similar to FIGURE 2 the structure after extrusion;

FIGURE 7 is a rear view showing the drilling of the vertical holes in certain convector flanges and twisting of the other flanges;

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate a further embodiment, FIGURE 8 being a cross-sectional view and FIGURE 9 a rear view on line 9-9 of FIGURE 8 partly broken away and in section and showing a panel connected to the heat radiating fires; and

FIGURES l0 and l1 illustrate another embodiment, FIGURE l0 being a cross-sectional view and FIGURE 1l a rear view taken substantially on line 11-11 of FIGURE 10 and being partly broken away and in section.

Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a heat exchanger generally designated 2 which comprises a radiator section 3 and a convector section 4.

Both sections are formed as a metal extrusion and the radiator section comprises vertical elongated front and rear panels or webs 5 and 6 and top and bottom and intermediate integral walls 7, 8 and 9 which form upper and lower fluid chambers 10 and 12. Manifold castings 13, 13' are provided at opposite ends 15, 16 of the radiant section, said end members 13, 13 being suitably joined as by aluminum weldments as well known to those skilled in the art. In lieu of such weldments said end members may be otherwise sealed by sealing and welding substances such as liquid aluminum pastes and the like which set upon exposure to air or heat.

The closure members 13 and 13' may be provided with air vents 18, 18 for venting the chambers as iluid is introduced from the inlet 20 in member 15 and exhausted through the outlet 21 in member 16.

The end members may have Suitable foot structures 22, 23 for resting on a lioor.

The front wall 5 may have an upper extrusion 24 above the radiant section and may have a plurality of perforations or vertically elongated slots `25 and a similarly apertured damper plate 26 which may -be complementally opposed to the interior 27 of extrusion 24 and ride Within grooves 28, 29 formed at opposite edges of the extrusion. Damper plate 26 may have slots similarly arranged as slots 25 and may be actuated by handle 30 which projects outwardly through an elongated slot 31 in section 24 to control the convection of hot air as shown by the arrows.

The upper liange 32 of section 24 may be provided with screw holes 34 which admit screws 35 adapted to be threaded by a screwdriver inserted through slots 25, 31' into an associated vertical support such as a wall 36.

The rear wall '6 is formed in the extrusion process with a plurality of upper longitudinal flanges 3S, 38 and lower longitudinal tianges 39, 39.

The upper iianges 38 in the initial step of forming are made with flat upper and lower surfaces 40, 41 and extend lengthwise of the structure. The surfaces 40, 41 converge to a rear edge 42. The root portion 43 of each ange 38 is relatively thick to obtain a section providing a heat sink of sufficient capacity to transmit the heat into the n. These flanges are cut into predetermined lengths and then each length 44 of fin is twisted from, between 45 to 90 about an axis substant-ially normal to the rear wall 6 of the radiator section.'v Thus, these cut lengths 44 assume a lposition beyond the root portion extending diagonally with respect to the vertical. Adjacent lengths 44 being in a parallel arrangement define air .passages with lower :air inlets 4S and upper air outlets 46. The inlets communicate with the space 47 below the radiant portion and the outlets communicate with the space 48 below the upper extrusion 24.

The lower group of flanges or ins 39 extend lengthwise longitudinally of the radiant section and are formed therewith integrally with the extrusion. The root end 40' of each fin 39 is relatively thick to provide a good heat sink of sufficient capacity to saturate the respective fin which has top and bottom surfaces 49, 50 which converge to a free edge 51. The fins 39 are curved upwardly on generally concentric arcs and define diagonal upwardly and rearwardly directed air channels or passageways with upper outlets 52. The lower end inlets 53 are provided by drilling, punching or slotting openings through the lower -sides of the anges 39. These openings are staggered laterally to obtain good coverage.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 the rear edges of the upper group of ns extend rearwardly of the lower group to obta-in an impingement of the air flowing upwardly from the lower fins. An efficient air flow is obtained.

It will be understood that the fin arrangement is optional. ln other words, either fins 38 may be used or 39 exclusively. It is imperative to obtain ecient heat conduction that the fins be integral. The structure herein described also reduces costs over casting and fabrication and obtains the advantages of the former without limitations thereof. The aluminum structure is lighter and the greater lengths obtainable reduce the number of joints. The structure lends itself to `adaptation for ready application to different wall lengths.

If an improved chimney effect is desired, the rear edges 42 of the fins 44 are connected to a thin sheet of metal or foil 55 as by epoxy resin glue at 56.

It will be realized that in lieu of the water or uid 'type radiant unit shown, electrical heating elements and the like may be used `as shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 106,8'20 filed May 1, 1961, now Patent No. 3,162,243 for Combined Radiator and Convector Heat Exchanger.

EMBODIMENT OF FIGURES 8 AND 9 The embodiment of FIGURES 8 and 9 is similar to part of the previous embodiment and like parts are therefore identified with the same reference characters. This embodiment utilizes only the upper tins 38 throughout its entire rear area and these fins are joined at their rear edges 42 to a flat plate 55 which may be connected as by epoxy glues or aluminum welding 56 and the like. The operation of the unit is similar to the previous embodiment. In this as Well as the previous embodiments the fin arrangements can be formed also upon the front panel 3. It could also be used with a forced blower system wherein the air is blown upwardly from beneath through the fins.

The struc-ture of FIGURE 8 is preferred in natural convection systems wherein the air is drawn from beneath and the air being heated by the fins rises upwardly into the space 48 and through the openings 26, 25. However, when a forced air system is used, that is, the air is forcibly drawn over the fins, it is preferred to provide panel 55 which is suitably joined to the rear edges of the fins.

4 f EMBODIMENT OF FIGURES l0 AND l1 This embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment of FIGURES 1-7 and like parts are identified by similar reference numerals. In this embodiment only fins 39 are shown and the rear edges 51 of fins 39 are also connected as by epoxy glue or welding to the plate 55. The air tlow is through the multiple apertures 53 which are spaced different distances from the wall 6.

In each embodiment, the extrusion is a simple structure and the fins are integral with the body and each fin has a wide root portion and the fin thins out to its free edge. Maximum heat transfer is obtained from the body of the radiator portion. Furthermore, since the fins in the embodiments of FIGURES l-5 and 8-9 are parted along vertical lines, the unit is adapted to be transversely sprung to permit application of the unit to a wall which is not absolutely straight. It will be realized that even though the slots 28, 29 and the plate 26 are shown as close fitting, they in fact are not and the slotting 25 also permits the transverse deflection of the unit. Thus the instant structure is applicable in long lengths to walls as baseboard heating without the inherent problems of castings. Fewer joints between sections are required thus lessening the chance of leaks.

I claim:

1. An extruded metal heat exchanger having an integral radiant portion including an upright wall and a plurality of flanges projecting outwardly of the wall and elongated in the same direction therewith, said flanges having root edge portions integral with said wall and said flanges curving upwardly and providing therebetween air passages with upwardly open air outlets, and said anges having vertical apertures therethrough providing air inlets into said passages for air convection.

2. The invention `according to claim 1 and a group of tins on the wall above said anges having root portions integral with the wall and running lengthwise of the wall and having portions remote `from the root portions overhanging said air outlets of the flanges therebel'ow, said remote portions having a generally vertical orientation.

3. An extruded metal heat exchanger for application to a vertical wall surface and the like comprising a body portion including a heating-medium-carrying portion and having an upright wall, a plurality of fins integral with said wall and having relatively thick portions merging with the wall and tapering in thickness away from the wall, the root portions of said fins being arranged in parallel relation lengthwise of the body portion, said fins being spaced lengthwise of said -body portion whereby said body portion -is bendable transversely without Ibuckling the ns for conformance with said wall surface.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and said fins having portions twisted from about 45 to 90 with respect to said root portions and defining substantially vertical air passages therebetween.

5. In an extruded meal heat exchanger comprising an elongated body portion including an upright wall, a plurality of fin lengths formed integral with said wall in generally parallel relation longitudinally with respect to said body portion, each fin length having a root portion extending lengthwise of the body portion, each fin length being segmented to provide a plurality of fins spaced lengthwise of the body portion, said fins ybeing twisted out of the plane of its root portion to increase its spacing with respect to the adjacent fins and to form generally vertical air passages therewith, said body portion being transversely bendable to conform to an associated support surface.

6. In a heat exchanger according to claim 5 and an imperforate plate connected to the free edges of said fins so as to co-operate with the vertical passages in forming a chimney effect.

7. An extruded metal heat exchanger comprising an elongate radiant portion including a panel having a vertical rear surface, a plurality of convector fins formed integral with said panel and having root portions extending longitudinally of said rear surface, said fins projecting outwardly and horizontally from said lrear surface and being twisted labout axes substantially normal to said panel and having distal portions extending diagonally with respect to the vertical, said ns being arranged in vertical lines and adjacent fins defining air passages having air inlets at the lower ends and outlets at the upper ends.

6 8. The invention according to claim 7 and each lin having `an intermediate portion between said root portion and distal portion thereof twisted with respect to the planeof the root portion.

No references cited.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Examiner.

10 D. C. REILEY, C. SUKALO, Assistant Examiners. 

